Tobacco pouch having removable lining



Feb. 8, 1955 w. J. u-zvms, JR., ETAL 2,701,597

TOBACCO POUCH HAVING REMOVABLE LINING Filed March 27, 1952 AHHHHHHHHHHH. llllhu WILL/AM J LEvzNs, J

H 5 R N W M E0 7 We T .15 .A

m m aL United States Patent TOBACCO POUCH HAVING REMOVABLE LINING William J. Levins, Jr., White Plains, N. Y., and Gerald M. Muscott, Westport, Conn., assignors to Beattie Jet Products, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 27, 15 52, Serial No. 278,863

Claims (Cl. 15028) This invention relates to tobacco pouches and is more particularly concerned with such pouches having removable linings.

In the design of tobacco pouches a number of factors have to be taken into consideration. They should be pleasing in appearance to render them readily saleable, they should be easy to stow away in the users pocket, and, as a corollary to this, they should diminish 1n effective volume as the tobacco carried in them is used up. Nevertheless, they should be so formed as to enable the user to insert the bowl of a pipe in them when packing the pipe. In addition, of course, they should wear well and should close so that the tobacco in them is protected against drying out. Attempts heretofore made to incorporate all these factors in a pouch have introduced results that are undesirable.

Stale tobacco gets deep in the pouches and is hard to remove, at least without creating sufficient of a mess that it is often dispensed with and new tobacco is put in on top of the stale. Permanent linings that are provided to retain the moisture in the tobacco become contaminated or stick together. Crevices in such linings retain tobacco dust or fine particles in such a way that they are diflicult, if not impossible, to clean out and this condition increases with the use of the pouch. Finally, the formation of the pouches is often such that rather than assisting in the packing of the pipe, the tobacco either flows away from the pipe, or spills out of the mouth of the pouch, or both.

It is the province of this invention to overcome the foregoing and other defects in tobacco pouch constructions. This is accomplished by the proper formation of the exterior envelope, and the provision of a readily removable, highly effective liner therefor. The exterior pouch envelope of the invention is formed to provide a pleasing appearance and to be readily receivable within and to fit the pocket of the user. It expands and contracts in response to the tobacco within the pouch and it can be closed so that the tobacco is protected against loss of moisture. The removable liner provided is so formed and so supported that the tobacco is readily accessible. The formation of the liner assists in the filling of the pipe and precludes trapping of stale tobacco, or tobacco dust. That formation also limits the escape path of tobacco as the pipe is being filled, so facilitates the prevention of spilling. The liner is readily inserted within and removed from the pouch, can be easily cleaned once it is removed without making any mess and may be as easily replaced, if desired. Nevertheless, the whole construction is economical, simple to manufacture and has long life.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to provide tobacco pouches of improved construction.

Another object is to provide tobacco pouches incorporating removable liners.

Still another object is to provide such tobacco pouches with a pleasing exterior appearance and so formed as to facilitate the handling and stowing of them.

A more detailed object is to provide tobacco pouches possessing the exterior appearance of presently preferred pouches, while incorporating functional improvements in the interior thereof.

Still another object is to provide tobacco pouches with tobacco holding compartments formed to facilitate the filling of a pipe.

A still further object is to provide tobacco pouches incorporating elements which may be disassembled for cleaning purposes and reassembled or replaced by counterparts if desired.

Further and more detailed objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pouch in accordance with the exterior envelope shown in open position with a fragment thereof broken away to expose the interior thereof.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pouch in closed position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the liner and support therefor showing the same in assembled relation.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the support alone.

Figure 5 is a similar view of the liner alone.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation of a modified form of pouch construction with a portion of the exterior envelope broken away to show the interior of the pouch, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of another modification.

The pouch of the invention comprises an exterior envelope, or housing, generally indicated at 1 in Figure l, and a liner generally indicated at 2. The envelope 1 has a generally rectangular front portion 3 and a back portion 4 preferably coextensive with a closing flap 5. The portions 3 and 4, as well as the normally integral extension 5 of the portion 4 would be made of relatively soft leather. Such leather need merely be of suflicient stiffness to retain an attractive appearance while still allowing the collapse of the front and back towards each other, as the tobacco within the pouch is used up. A flexible gusset-like joining element, generally indicated at 6, enhances the collapse of the front and back towards each other. The gusset 6, is creased with the crease normally extending inwardly, and provides a flexible securing and spacing of the portions 3 and 4 at their ends 7 and 8, as well as along the bottom 9. The gusset is preferably made of a softer, more pliable, leather than that of the rest of the envelope, though it may be formed of the same material as the back and front of the envelope if desired, since the crease assures ocnsiderable flexibility.

The closing flap 5 is preferably lined with a moisture resistant material, which may suitably be a thin film of plastic material, or a light weight impregnated fabric, as indicated at 10. Such lining may continue throughout the interior of the pouch if desired, but any necessity of so continuing it is obviated by the presence of the removable liner hereinafter described.

To enhance the appearance of the pouch, the exterior of the top flap, or cover 5, may be so formed and stitched to present a stepped or other attractive border 11 around the exterior of it. An example of this is illustrated in Figure 2.

It will be obvious from the Figure 1 showing that an elongated rectangular mouth is provided for the exterior envelope at the upper end thereof. This mouth is bordered by the top edge 12 of the front 3, the top ends 13 of the gusset 6, and the opposed portion 14 of the black 4. "this elongated opening, or mouth, receives the liner 2 and forms a border for the upper end thereof. The liner 2, as best seen in Figures 3 and 5, is preferably formed of a light weight pliable material which may be of a plastic or fabric nature, such as that employed for the lining 10. If made as a plastic shell, or envelope, it may be formed all of one piece, but, in any event, it should have sufiicient strength to withstand substantial usage and stand up against the chaifing or expanding action of the resilient wire support 15, shortly to be described.

The liner 2 approximates a segment of a drum. It has identical back and front members 16 and 17 whose top edges are on a straight line, as indicated at 18 and 19, and the remainder of whose periphery is preferably in the form of a curve 20. At its widest part this curved periphery has substantialy the width of the front and back portions, 3 and 4, of the outer envelope. Thus the remote edges 21 and 22 will seat up in the side edges of the envelope 1 between the front and back portions 3 and 4 thereof, and their joining gusset portions 7 and 8. This seating is indicated in the dotted line showing in Figure 1. Normally, also, the bottom flatter portion 23 of the periphery will substantially seat down at the bottom edges of the envelope 1 where the gusset portion 9 engages the bottoms of the front and back portions 3 and 4.

The curved peripheries of the front and back members 16 and 17 are joined together, while being spaced apart, by a strip 24. This strip commences at as an extension of the upper edges 18 and 19 and follows around the curve 20 while spacing the faces 16 and 17 a art to terminate in an upper edge 26 similar to the edge 25. Since the upper portion of the liner curves in somewhat from its widest portion at 21, 22, the mouth thereof bordered by the edges 18, 19, 25 and 26, is somewhat reduced in area as against the cross sectional area at the widest interior portion of the liner. Furthermore. it will be seen that the interior of the liner has its ends and bottom formed throu hout on a continuous smooth curve. Thus, when a pipe is inserted into the open mouth to fill it with tobacco, the curved wall in front of the pipe will facilitate that action, there being no corners for tobacco to be crowded into.

The wire support 15 is provided to hold the liner in extended open and in useable position. The wire, as shown in the accompanying drawing, is of heavier gauge than would normally be reouired and is shown as heavy as it is merely to enhance the illustration. It is the characteristics of the wire, such as resilience and rigidity, which are of importance and quite obviously the wire should not be of such size as to occupy any more of the interior of the liner than is necess ry. The wire sh uld merely hold the liner out in its fully expanded condition longitudinally, while letting the sides of the liner come towards each other, as the tobacco contained therein diminishes. This is so that when the pouch formed with this liner is stowed in a pocket the pouch will not be any bulkier than is necessary to accommodate the tobacco then in the liner.

The wire support 15, as best seen in Figure 4, consists of two open loops 30 and 31 shaped to coincide with the curve of and to lie snugly within the curved corner edges 20 of the liner 2. Each of the loops 30 and 31 terminate at their u per ends in short outwardly extending portions 32 and 33 which join with transverse closing portions 34. In effect, then. the pairs of loops terminate in outwardly extending U-shaped locating and stiffening elements. Both loops and ends can be formed out of a sin le piece of wire whose free ends are closed by welding them together at some suitable spot. Assuming that the loops 30 and 31 are made of relatively light gauge wire. it will be apparent that the pressure exerted by the U-shaoed stiffening elements, tending to maintain the lower portions of the loops in spaced relation, will not he very great. Thus. in the absence of tobacco Within the liner the lower portions of the loops can come towards each other as the sides 16 and 17 of the liner are collapsed towards each other. Finally, it is to be noted that when the support and liner are properly engaged. the o en mouth of the liner seats up closely within the bends of the wire support.

The mounting of a liner. as iust described. with the Wire support 15 therein in the exterior envelope is shown in Figure 1. Here it is seen that the the bottom of the liner seats down against, or at least closely adiacent, the bottom of the envelope 1, while the sides of the liner at its widest part, as seen at 21 and 22 (Fi ure 3) extend out to the sides 7 and 8 of the envelope. The open mou h at the top of the liner, bordered by the edges 18, 19, 25 and 26, seats just within the open mouth of the envelope, so that the outwardly extending loop portions 32. 33, 34 at each end of the wire support lie iust below the upper ends 13 of the gusset 6. This positioning of the wire support within the mouth of the envelope locates the liner in position in the envelope and serves, with the other engagements of the liner with the envelope, to keep them in operable position. The wire support also provides means to keep the mouth of the liner open and its end loops furnish something to be grasped when it is desired to insert the liner within or remove it from the envelope.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the complete pouch of the invention can be assembled by first bringing them towards each other, whereupon the wire support may be seated within a liner 2 by sliding the liner up over the wire, or seating the wire down within the liner, as one may wish. When this seating is properly effected, the liner is slid into the exterior envelope 1 by introducing the bottom of it into the open mouth of the envelope and sliding it down within the envelope. When the liner is seated in place in the envelope, the ends 34 of the support may be drawn slightly in towards each other and then released to spring out into engagement with the gusset 6. Then, if the liner has not been filled with tobacco before insertion, it can now be so filled and the pouch is ready for use.

From a consideration of the illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawing, it will be apparent that the smooth curve imparted to the sides and bottom of the liner will enable a pipe to he slid into the tobacco and will substantially prevent the tobacco from escaping while the pipe is being packed. When the tobacco is all used up, or at such other time as the user may wish, the liner may be readily removed by drawing in the ends 34. The liner may then be cleaned out, either with or without the removal of the wire 15. In fact, tobacco refills may be provided in elements having the form of the liner, either with or without the wire therein. In such case the refills as sold would have the open mouth of the liner sealed shut with a suitable plastic strip to be removed when it is desired to put the refill to use.

A slightly modified construction is shown in Figure 6. Here the wire support 15 is the same as that previously described and the exterior envelope is the same save for the presence of an extending end 36 at the upper end of the gusset 6. This extending end, as shown, is turned inwardly at 37 and is returned beneath itself at 38. An inwardly extending overlying lip is accordingly provided beneath which the wire end 32, 33, 34 will rest. The doubling of the gusset material stiffens it sufficiently at this position to cause it to remain in place over the U-shaped end of the wire support, closing that U against the possibility of tobacco getting down in between the lining and the wall of the housing.

A further modification is shown in Figure 7. Here an extension of the gusset 6, instead of merely turning inwardly, is made into a flap 40 of sufiicient length to overlie the U-shaped end of the wire. This flap is sewn along its sides at 41 and 42, to the material of the envelope adjacent the edges 12 and 14 of its mouth. The flap will thus remain in fixed position set.

To insert a liner in a housing of this construction, it is merely necessary to draw the U-shaped ends of the wire support 15 towards each other to sufiicient extent that their portions 34 will clear the inner edges 43 of the flaps 40. As soon as the portions 34 are down below the edges 43, they can be released so they will spring outwardly and lie underneath the flaps. The construction of this modification will serve to more positively close off the gap provided by the U-shaped ends and will more positively secure the liner in place in the envelope. It will not interfere in any way with the useable characteristics of the liner.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides for an economical sanitary tobacco pouch which facilitates the filling of a pipe, but assures that the pipe smoker may readily clean out or replace the tobacco receptacle whenever he so desires. Nevertheless, the tobacco, received in a moisture proof receptacle, will be kept in its moist condition, for the cover, or flap, 5, closes over the opening in the liner and lies well down over the front face of the exterior envelope. From the outside the pouch has an attractive, smart, rectangular appearance and can be readily placed in ones pocket. The effects of wear are substantially precluded, for there is no wear on the exterior leather, and replacements of the liner can be made from time to time as they wear.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, or variations, may be made in the structure hereinabove described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It is, accordingly, intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In tobacco pouch construction, a liner formed of grasping the opposite ends 34 of a wire support 15 and 35 light weight, flexible material, said liner comprising symmetrical front and back portions and a joining portion, said front and back portions having a substantially straight top and having a convexly curved continuous side and bottom border commencing at one end of said straight top and terminating at the other end thereof, said joining portion being secured to said convexly curved border of said front and back portions and securing the same together while spacing them apart, a light weight resilient wire element seated within said liner, said wire element including a pair of spaced loop elements formed on substantially the same curve as said convexly curved border and following the contour of the same within said liner, and said wire element including a spacing element extending between said loop elements secured to the same and maintaining the same in spaced relation, said spacing element extending outwardly from the open mouth of said liner formed by said straight top edges of said front and back portions and the top ends of said joining portions ad jacent thereto.

2. A tobacco pouch comprising, a substantially rectangular exterior envelope formed with back and front walls, and a flexible gusset joining said back and front Walls together but spacing the same apart, said flexible gusset extending down the sides of said housing and across the bottom thereof, and a liner for said envelope having its sides and bottom formed with curved peripheral edges, said peripheral edges having portions formed to extend throughout the interior width of said envelope and throughout the height thereof, but said liner being spaced from the corners of said envelope, and a light weight resilient wire element received within said liner, said wire element conforming to the contour of the curved peripheral edges of said liner and retaining the same in extended position.

3. A tobacco pouch comprising, a substantially rectangular exterior envelope formed with back and front walls, and a flexible gusset joining said back and front Walls together but spacing the same apart, said flexible gusset extending down the sides of said housing and across the bottom thereof, and a liner for said envelope having sides and bottom formed with curved peripheral edges, said peripheral edges having portions formed to extend throughout the interior width of said envelope and throughout the height thereof, but said liner being spaced from the corners of said envelope, and a light weight resilient wire element received within said liner,

said wire element conforming to the contour of the curved peripheral edges of said liner and retaining the same in extended position, and said wire element being formed with outwardly extending portions, said outwardly extending portions extending outwardly of said liner at the upper end thereof into engagement with said gusset.

4. A pouch as in claim 3 and said gusset being formed with inwardly extending portions at the upper ends thereof, said inwardly extending portions of said gusset overlying the outwardly extending portions of said wire element.

5. A tobacco pouch comprising a substantially rectangular exterior envelope formed with an elongated mouth across the top thereof, said envelope having side walls and a bottom, and removable liner received within said envelope, said liner having a front portion, a rear portion and a joining portion, said front and rear portions being symmetrical and being formed with a substantially straight top edge and with the sides and bottom edges thereof formed on a curve, said joining portion being secured to the curved edges of said front and rear portions and maintaining said front and rear portions in spaced relation, said liner being seated in said envelope with said sides and bottom edges thereof having portions in engagement with the sides and bottom of said envelope, said liner being formed with an open mouth bordered by said. straight top edge portions and by the upper ends of said joining portion, a light weight, resilient wire element received within said liner, said wire element conforming to the contour of the curved edges of said liner and retaining said liner in extended position within said envelope and said wire element having portions extending outwardly at each end of said mouth of said liner and engaging the sides of said envelope.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 438,798 Burbridge Oct. 21, 1890 1,185,695 Marshall June 6, 1916 1,282,761 Combes Oct. 29, 1918 1,506,926 Gunter Sept. 2, 1924 1,691,906 Lefkowitz Nov. 13, 1928 1,892,676 McEnery Jan. 3, 1933 2,075,629 Singer et a1. Mar. 30, 1937 2,262,551 Kirgan Nov. 11, 1941 

